How Many People Are Homeless in Mississauga?

Mississauga isn't always the easiest place to live comfortably, and for one reason or another, some residents end up without a home. Whether they're living in their cars or elsewhere, the Region of Peel is about to put a number on exactly how many people are homeless in Peel.

The Region is set to enumerate homelessness in Brampton, Mississauga, and Caledon on April 24 and 25, collaborating with the Peel Alliance to End Homelessness (PAEH) and other community partners, as part of the first province-wide count of its kind in Canada, reads a recent release.

It's true that poverty is a big issue in Brampton. In fact, it's on the rise. The most recent data from United Way Greater Toronto revealed that in 1980, two per cent of neighbourhoods in Peel Region were considered low-income. As of 2015, that number is 52 per cent.

Of course, there's a difference between a low-income neighbourhood and a homeless individual, yet both sets of data aim to show how prevalent poverty is in our community.

"A Point-in-Time Count and Registry Week will be conducted to provide a snapshot of homelessness across Peel Region," reads a recent release.

The Point-in-Time Count is basically an estimate of homelessness in the Region within a 24-hour period, including demographics of the homeless population and its needs.

"During the Point-in-Time Count, the Region of Peel will also undertake Peel’s second Registry Week as part of the 20,000 Homes Campaign," reads the release.

"The 20,000 Homes Campaign is a national change movement focused on ending chronic homelessness in 20 communities and housing 20,000 of Canada’s most vulnerable homeless people by July 1, 2020."

Beginning this year, measuring homelessness in Peel will be a regular act. The Region will enumerate homelessness across Brampton, Caledon, and Mississauga once every two years from now on.

"Trained volunteers will survey individuals sleeping on the streets, staying in shelters and short-term housing, and accessing support services across Peel," reads a recent release.

"The survey will be anonymous and the information collected will be used to inform service planning and prioritize access to services."

“It is important that Peel participate in this initiative to better understand the magnitude of homelessness in our community,” said Janice Sheehy, Commissioner, Human Services, Region of Peel. “The results will be used to support the revised Peel Housing and Homelessness Plan (2018-2028): Home for All. The Plan recommends a shift to a Housing First approach to preventing homelessness in Peel.”

The project will be funded by the federal government's Homelessness Partnering Strategy and the Province of Ontario’s Ministry of Housing.

“Eliminating homelessness in Peel will produce enormous financial benefits, and alleviate unacceptable personal costs to those experiencing homelessness.” said Sharon Douglas, Chair of the PAEH.

“As a community collaborative dedicated to creating system change, PAEH believes that an integrated approach to addressing homelessness starts with enumeration. This baseline will enable us to measure our progress, and contribute to our partnered efforts in prioritizing Peel’s most vulnerable community members.”